A symbol of the separation between both worlds and the authority of the Shinri Emperor, the Imperial Seal is a great stone tablet inscribed with the peace agreement accepted by the First Incarnate and the Primal Spirits of Shinri. But this tablet holds more than mere words as the ancient spirits gave part of their essence to honor their deal and entrust the Imperial Seal with power over both worlds. As long as the Imperial Seal remains in good hands Shinri will remain in balance, but if someone would use its power for immoral purposes the land itself would be threatened with a new era of chaos and suffering.

History

To end the Great Spirit war the First Incarnate and the primal spirits of Shinri made an agreement that would separate both worlds and ensure the spirits would be worshipped and respected in exchange of letting humanity live. Their contract was inscribed in a stone tablet, forming what is now known as the Imperial Seal. As part of the peace agreement the primal spirits gave part of their essence to the First Incarnate, who sealed it inside the tablet as a guarantee that they wouldn’t break the terms of their deal. For the remainder of his life he held the seal as symbol of his triumph and role as guardian between both worlds, entrusting it to his descendants once it was up so they would countinue his noble work.

While the First Incarnate’s intentions were noble he did not anticipate that the Seal along with the many powerful artifacts he left behind were capable of dominating and controlling the Spirits themselves. This property was discovered by the Seishin-Gumi, a secret organization created by the First Incarnate to protect Shinri from threats from both worlds. The order’s new leadership believed that humanity could harness the power of the Spirits to achieve greatness and for this goal they forced many great spirits to give part of their essence to some of Shinri’s great families, thus forming the first Ekta clans. This act angered the Great Spirits but there was little they could do as the terms of the Imperial Seal stopped them from directly intervening and those who showed even a little resistance would be sealed by the Seishin-Gumi.

The seal would remain in Seishin-Gumi control even after the collapse of the Shinri state and throughout the age of warlords, ensuring that the border between both realms would remain closed no matter who ruled Shinri. Thanks to the power of the seal they managed to contain the fallout from the Oni’s attempt in 4010 to open rifts between both realms, protecting the land from destruction. Nevertheless, thanks to this incident the Oni discovered the existence of the Imperial Seal and plotted for many years to recover it from the Seishin-Gumi.

The Oni had a stroke of luck thanks to the conflict between the Seishin-Gumi and the Incarnate’s companions, an event that not only caused the deaths of many high-ranking members of the organization but also distracted them long enough so the Oni could slowly increase their power and influence in Shinri. Once the Incarnate’s companions reached the inner sanctum of the Seishin-Gumi and killed the order’s leader Kenamaru the Oni snuck in and stole the Imperial Seal, achieving their long-awaited victory. Now the barrier between both worlds is compromised and some speculate a new Spirit war is coming as the once-sealed spirits will seek revenge on humanity.

Powers

The Imperial Seal is probably the most powerful artifact in Shinri, holding immense power granted to it by the essence of all great spirits and gives its bearer control of the barrier between both realms. The Seal’s magic can be channeled by powerful spellcasters to greatly empower their magical abilities and grant them the power to use mythic magic belonging to all main spirits. Its bearer can also control the barrier between both worlds, gaining the ability to open and close spirit gates and protect its bearer from the power of all primal spirits.

If used in battle the Seal will protect its bearer from harm, making them invulnerable to all but the strongest attacks. In addition, if the bearer is powerful enough they can call an greater spirit formed from the power of the Seal itself to protect them, manifesting as a gargantuan creature made of magical energy. While these abilities are already immensely powerful, it is believed that the Seal can do even greater things in the hands of the right people being capable of even dragging parts of reality into the spirit world.